Tuesday’s Headlines Explain Why Streets Aren’t Safe
Poor street design, gentrification and the trend toward bigger, heavier cars are all contributing to the rise in pedestrian deaths, according to author Jessie Singer.
By
Blake Aued
12:01 AM EDT on July 25, 2023
- Slate interviews author Jessie Singer about why U.S. streets are getting more dangerous for pedestrians. Hint: bigger cars and people who can’t afford cars being pushed out into auto-centric suburbs.
- Electric vehicles might eliminate tailpipe emissions, but their tires are sending more toxic particles into the air. (The Atlantic)
- The Biden administration distributed $20 million in transit planning grants to 47 communities with persistently high poverty. (Roads & Bridges)
- Contrary to what one San Francisco alderman says, bike lanes don’t cause pollution. (Outside. Streetsblog CAL)
- Frustration with the Portland Bureau of Transportation is growing after a week in which drivers killed eight people. (Bike Portland)
- The Houston Metro is moving ahead with expansion despite lackluster sales tax revenue projections. (Chronicle)
- Phoenix is considering reducing the minimum parking spaces required at apartment complexes. (AZ Family)
- Washington, D.C. started Monday using bus-mounted cameras to catch drivers in bus-only lanes. (DC News Now)
- Protected bike lanes are coming to Pittsburgh’s Penn Avenue. (Tribune-Review)
- A WBUR podcast discusses how to make Boston streets safer.
- The weather is so hot in Arizona that people are getting burned by sidewalks. (WPTV)
- After Germany started selling a cheap unlimited train ticket, train rides rose 27 percent while car trips fell by 100,000 a month. (City Lab)
- Montreal safety advocates created a human bike path on Parc Avenue, where two cyclists have been killed in the past 10 years. (Gazette)
Blake Aued has been doing Streetsblog's daily national news digest for years. He's also an Atlanta Braves fan, which enrages his editor in New York.
Read More:
Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.
More from Streetsblog USA
‘The Vibes Were Impeccable’: The World Cup Showed The Promise Of Livable Streets
The name of the game is car-free.
July 21, 2026
Op-Ed: Lack of Transit is the Real Culprit Behind the Bay Area’s July Fourth Fiasco
It's time for someone to call out the elephant in the room about the July Fourth meltdown.
July 21, 2026
Tuesday’s Headlines Don’t Need a Tank
Every 1,000 pounds of a car's weight increases the fatality rate by 40 percent.
July 21, 2026
Monday’s Headlines Score a Goal for Transit
Americans spent the past month falling in love with soccer. Maybe they fell in love with transit, too.
July 20, 2026
Another $100M for Freeway Expansion in LA?
This week, the Metro board will vote on $100M+ worth of freeway expansion, mainly for widening the 91 Freeway in North Long Beach, Artesia and Cerritos.
July 20, 2026
